Substack vs. Twitter - Competitors or Complementary?

After my Twitter and Substack accounts were both hacked, I have new perspectives on the contrasts between the two platforms

Substack and Twitter/X are by far the most important platforms for independent media. Both are staunch defenders of free speech. For the past week and counting, I lost access to Twitter due to a hack. When the same thing happened yesterday on Substack, they restored access in an hour. Thank you to the team who helped.

The experience illuminated the strengths and weaknesses of each company. I hope both continue to thrive as complementary allies, not competitive adversaries. Here are my evaluations on whether orange or blue has the edge across 7 different dimensions.

***PSA: Ignore any e-mails from yuribezmenov22@protonmail.com. The hacker has taken over that inbox. More details at the bottom.

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Culture: Substack

Substack is sipping on scotch. Twitter is funneling beer.

Substack is a refined library. Twitter is a raucous town square.

Substack is a walled garden. Twitter is an unruly jungle.

Both have their merits depending on your personal preference and mood, but things are generally more pleasant on stack and spicier on tweet.

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Support: Substack

Substack restored access within an hour after I got hacked. Their employees are always responsive and helpful. They care about feedback and improving the user experience. Every one I have interacted with glows about how the company’s culture is the best they have ever been a part of. Their thoughtful approach reflects the leadership of Chris Best, Hamish McKenzie, and Mills Baker. Long may it continue, for it is rare and precious.

Twitter support has been slower. Perhaps it is because they have many more users relative to employees. Even for a paying premium user, it took days for them to send form template responses to multiple tickets. I am fortunate that some of my mutuals connected me with Twitter employees to escalate, though it still hasn’t been resolved after over a week.

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Scale: Twitter

Every interesting person in the world is on Twitter. They have ~600 million monthly active users, ~17x larger than Substack’s 35 million monthly active users. Substack has made substantial headway recruiting writers and readers, but it is hard to penetrate that moat and catch up on a 10-year head start.

All of the battles, comments, and ratios on Twitter are pure cinema that can only happen there. I am an anomaly in that I have ~3x more followers on Substack than Twitter. In addition, I rarely cross-post on the latter and mainly use it as a news feed. The interactions and friendships you can build on Twitter are broader than Substack. However, both need to be wary of bots and AI slop.

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Economics: Substack

Substack is the only platform that gives creators ownership over their audience’s e-mails. That is invaluable. In case of any future emergencies, I will be able to directly contact subscriber like you. It still blows my mind almost a thousand of you pay me through Substack - the more the merrier. The incentives are more aligned here for authenticity and nuance. On Twitter, some cynical actors exploit the algorithm to chase clout and monetization. It is our responsibility to find signal in the noise and reward it.

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Entertainment: Twitter

The thing I miss about Twitter the most is the comedy. Every day, my feed would make me laugh hard. Substack has plenty of fun serendipity, but the quality and quantity of jokes on Twitter never ceases to amaze.

Both offer video and podcasts. They have encroached on each other’s core products with Substack Notes and Twitter Articles. I hope that they will make it easier to cross-post and share links. New Right Poast is a lifeline on Substack for anyone who wants to see the most hilarious tweets every week. I am sad that I missed all of the JPMorgan scandal discourse last week, but appreciate that my group chat comrades shared the top bangers.

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News: Twitter

Twitter owns breaking news. All of the biggest stories and scoops spread there first. Without access, I have no idea what is happening in the world. Everyone’s timeline diverged when Elon bought Twitter, exposed the crime scene, and allowed all narratives to compete against the establishment lies. At this point, it is hard to consider someone well-informed if they don’t monitor the situation on X.

Substack writers offer incredible commentary. However, we need time to process nuanced long-form posts. They don’t have the same virality as short hot takes. Such is the human condition. MSM coverage is awful propaganda that memory holes and buries the lede. Polymarket has the most comprehensive updates of breaking news on Substack.

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Anon Opsec: Tie

Both platforms are great for anons. They were pressured during the Biden censorship regime, but passed the stress tests. Spicy memes flow. Privacy is protected.

These two open marketplaces of ideas drive civilization forward through debate and changing minds with improved information diets. For that we should be grateful. Avoid the brain rot of Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, BlueSky, Discord, Twitch, Reddit, and LinkedIn.

Stay vigilant on security. I welcome any advice on countermeasures after my Substack, Protonmail, and X were all hacked in the same week. Scammers must be held accountable - I shudder to think what they are doing to older vulnerable people.

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The hacker called from Nigeria with the number +234 703 278 2990 to extort me. Report him on WhatsApp if you can without messaging him. Further details:

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Substack is only scratching the surface of its immense total addressable market: